Forrest Hall

[nashvillegoldenflash]

Am I the only one who sees the irony in the #BlackLivesMatter activists protesting Forrest Hall at Middle Tennessee State University?

The truth is the Black Lives Matter movement is a racist, violent hate group that promotes the execution of police officers. The evidence is in their rhetoric and written on their shirts (click link below).

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiep...-what-it-is-promotion-of-cop-jilling-n2046941

 

[bigbadjohn45]

Am I the only one who sees the irony in the #BlackLivesMatter activists protesting Forrest Hall at Middle Tennessee State University?

The truth is the Black Lives Matter movement is a racist, violent hate group that promotes the execution of police officers. The evidence is in their rhetoric and written on their shirts (click link below).

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiep...-what-it-is-promotion-of-cop-jilling-n2046941

Flash, I hope they don't change the name of Forrest Hall. And yes, I agree with what you said about the BLM bunch.

 

[nashvillegoldenflash]

BBJ, I have always had mixed feelings about Nathan Bedford Forrest. Many years ago when I was in Franklin, TN, I visited one of the older homes that serves as one of the many museums of the city of Franklin. After explaining to some of the people at the museum that I'm a distant relative to Gen. Otho French Strahl (see below), one of the workers pulled out a book of Confederate Generals and read a small piece about Gen. Strahl and his last words before he was fatally shot at the Battle of Franklin. After that, the subject turned to Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest. I made the comment that I thought Forrest was a great general but I wasn't sure if he was a great man. My concern I have with Forrest is with what was reported to have happened at Ft. Pillow. After, I mentioned Ft. Pillow, the gentleman asked me "how many times do you have to ask the enemy to surrender?" Since I wasn't there and don't know exactly what happened, I really don't know if Forrest was guilty of "war crimes." But since Forrest Hall is named after him for being the greatest cavalrymen of the Civil War, not for being a great humanitarian, I'm not convinced that a new name is warranted. After all, Forrest Hall houses the Army R.O.T.C. program and not the Center for Peaceful Change. That said, I probably would never have a portrait or print of Forrest on the wall of my home, but I still respect him for being the "Wizard of the Saddle." Actually, I always admired J.E.B. Stuart and am a proud owner of "The Last Cavalier" print.

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

They are not coming after Forrest for what happened at Ft. Pillow, they are coming after him because he was in the KKK, period. These people will never stop and that is why you can't change the name. Even if history shows he swore off his KKK ties, it just doesn't matter what Forrest contributions were or were not.

 

[nashvillegoldenflash]

Mike, I understand that is the reason why some students want a name change. I just mentioned Ft. Pillow because that is the reason why I have some reservations about Forrest. Actually, I admire Forrest for getting out of the KKK when he realized what it had become. I can't say that about Robert "KKK" Byrd. He was actually in the Klan when everyone in America knew it was a murderous and threatening gang of thugs. And take a look at all the places named after Byrd (click link below).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_places_named_after_Robert_Byrd

 

[bigbadjohn45]

They are not coming after Forrest for what happened at Ft. Pillow, they are coming after him because he was in the KKK, period. These people will never stop and that is why you can't change the name. Even if history shows he swore off his KKK ties, it just doesn't matter what Forrest contributions were or were not.

Funny how they never had a problem with former W. Virginia Senator Robert "Sheets" Byrd, DEMOCRAT, and the former so-called "Voice of the Senate"??

Per Glenn Beck regarding Byrd:

"Sen. Byrd, wasn't just a member of the KKK. He was a Klan leader holding titles of "Kleagle" and "Exalted Cyclops." The senator claimed to have left the organization in 1943, but later wrote a letter to the group's grand wizard, saying, quote, "The Klan is needed today more as never before, and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia," end quote.

As recently as 2005, in his memoir, Byrd describes the KKK as a fraternal assembly of, quote, "upstanding people," end quote. He was the only senator to vote against both African-American Supreme Court nominees Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas.

He personally filibustered the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. He opposed President Truman's initiative to integrate the Armed Forces. And he said he would never fight, quote, "with a negro by my side. Rather, I should die 1,000 times than to see this beloved land become degraded by race mongrels," end quote.

He once called Martin Luther King a, quote, "self-seeking rabble- rouser" and even told the FBI he could give a speech condemning King on the floor of the Senate, saying it was time that the civil rights leader, quote, "met his waterloo."

He also once said the writers of the Declaration of Independence did not intend for words "all men created equal" to be taken literally."

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Wonder how many buildings, etc., ol' "Sheets" has up there in West Virgini'? Wonder if there's any outrage up there to have HIS name removed--hmmmmm???

 

[bigbadjohn45]

This answers the question I posed earlier:

Humble reminder: There are about 50 places in WV bearing the name of former Klansman Robert Byrd
By Doug Powers • June 25, 2015 06:57 AM
**Written by Doug Powers

After the murders of nine people at AME Emanuel Church in Charleston, SC Gov. Nikki Haley ordered the Confederate flag removed from the State Capitol. In addition, media and others have been calling for a “rethink” about things like the
Jefferson Memorial, General Lee park, the Washington Monument, and even the American flag.

Should we at least include in the debate about things to be stricken from public view the several dozen public buildings, roads and bridges named after Robert Byrd, the Democrat West Virginia Senator who was before that a recruiter for the Ku Klux Klan? Seems like the former Kleagle and politician whofilibustered the 1964 Civil Rights Act should at least be in the mix of the discussion about people who shouldn’t be honored with taxpayer money, and apparently I’m not alone:

 

[bigbadjohn45]

Mike, I understand that is the reason why some students want a name change. I just mentioned Ft. Pillow because that is the reason why I have some reservations about Forrest. Actually, I admire Forrest for getting out of the KKK when he realized what it had become. I can't say that about Robert "KKK" Byrd. He was actually in the Klan when everyone in America knew it was a murderous and threatening gang of thugs. And take a look at all the places named after Byrd (click link below).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_places_named_after_Robert_Byrd

Good post, Flash.

 

[nashvillegoldenflash]

Thanks BBJ. I realize this thread is about Forrest Hall and Nathan Bedford Forrest but I would like to take this opportunity to point out that most Confederate Generals were not as rough as Forrest. Everyone knows how spiritual Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson were. Also, “General Strahl was a model character, and it was said of him that in all the war he was never known to use language unsuited to the presence of ladies.” But, like me, they were all staunch state-righters. I have a copy of a letter that Gen. Strahl wrote to his family in Ohio and in the letter he strongly discusses his belief in states rights and Southern Independence.

 

[bigbadjohn45]

Flash, yes, you've mentioned General Strahl previously and what an asset he was to the Confederate army.

This thread started with your statement:

"Am I the only one who sees the irony in the #BlackLivesMatter activists protesting Forrest Hall at Middle Tennessee State University"?

I believe it fitting that both you and I have illustrated the utter hypocrisy of those who rail against the Forrest Hall name, yet have no problem with all the buildings, etc., with "Sheets" Byrd's name on them.

BTW, don't be surprised when the "committee" recommends a name change tonight. Pathetic....

 

[bigbadjohn45]

Just as I predicted:

MTSU task force recommends Forrest Hall name change

Brian Wilson, bwilson@dnj.com7:40 a.m. CDT April 20, 2016

MURFREESBORO — A Middle Tennessee State University task force recommended on Tuesday evening that the name of Forrest Hall, the ROTC building on campus, be changed.

That recommendation did not include the discussion of alternative names for the building currently dedicated for controversial Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest.

MTSU President Sidney McPhee is expected to make a recommendation by the end of April on whether the university should formally call for a change for the building, said Andrew Oppmann, university vice president for marketing and communications.

Liles criticized the tone and language of those who supported a name change during the six months the committee met and told the task force he did not want to "reward bad behavior" with his position.

"It is disappointing to see my alma mater devolve into civility such as this," Liles said.

Brandon Woodruff, a senior who has repeatedly called for a name change, said he believed students were not disrespectful during the recommendation process.

State Sen. Bill Ketron, a task force member, also said during the a task force meeting last week that he supported keeping the name.

Rutherford County Property Assessor Rob Mitchell, who supported keeping the name, said it was unfortunate the recommendation got to that point.

"The building's going to be torn down anyway," Mitchell said.

The Forrest Hall Task Force made their decision after three public forums where supporters and critics of the controversial Confederate general spoke to the panel.

While critics have questioned Forrest's role as a leader in the Ku Klux Klan and how his troops handled the Fort Pillow massacre in West Tennessee, supporters call the Confederate general a brilliant military mind who denounced the KKK before his death.

After the shooting at a black church in Charleston, S.C. in June 2015, McPhee organized the task force to recommend whether to rename the building dedicated for Forrest in 1958.

 

[SpaceRaider]

As I've said before, I don't have a problem with changing the name. Forrest was a part of Murfreesboro civil war history a half century before the university came into existence. There was no relation to the university. I think the name if any should be for a notable MT alum who served. IMO, buildings should be named for famous alums, notable supporters of the university - donors or significant political leaders, or long time administrators/educators. I was hoping that the political leaders involved in this would lead a push for a brand new ROTC building to put a new name on.

 

[SpaceRaider]

sounds like a worthy candidate:

DNJ:

Easy choice if Forrest Hall name changed

 

[MTLynn]

My first thought was Alvin York but Col. Smith is a good choice

 

[Hop45]

Getting so tired of the opinions of those who are "offended" counting more than those who may not be offended by something. It goes so much deeper than just the name on a building. This kind of crap is in the news every day.

 

[bigbadjohn45]

Getting so tired of the opinions of those who are "offended" counting more than those who may not be offended by something. It goes so much deeper than just the name on a building. This kind of crap is in the news every day.

TG issue...same deal....